200 Become Ill After Convention

Investigation Focusing On Dinner

City and state health officials were trying to determine Tuesday what caused more than 200 women attending a convention over the weekend to become violently ill.

According to Dr. Richard Biek, deputy commissioner of the Chicago Department of Health, investigators are focusing on one meal that all the woman ate Friday evening.

``At this point it appears to be a bacteria rather than food poisoning or a parasite,`` Biek said. ``We should have laboratory results in the next three or four days.``

More than 1,700 people attended the Handweavers Guild of America`s annual meeting at the Hyatt Regency Chicago hotel, 151 E. Wacker Dr.

Most attended a catered banquet Friday evening at the Field Museum of Natural History, 1200 S. Lake Shore Dr.

City health officials visited the museum Monday, said John Economos, director of sales and marketing for the museum.

``The food is not prepared here,`` Economos said. ``The only thing that is used from here is our water, and the Health Department took samples of that. The group had a very vigorous schedule when they were in town; they stopped at Taste of Chicago and had meals at the hotel.``

Kathryn Palombo, 35, of Sterling Heights, Mich., was one of those who became ill.

``Some people did stop at Taste of Chicago, but I never did,`` Palombo said. ``We were at the Field Museum, and we had a Mexican-style banquet. As the workers were passing out the food, they were touching some with their hands. My friend and I joked about getting sick, but then we went ahead and ate dinner.``

That meal was one of several eaten together by the group during the four- day meeting. Most others were served at the Hyatt.

``Most of the people began to become ill in the early morning hours of Sunday,`` Biek said. ``That would be consistent with the incubation period for several bacteria.

``We are testing the food handlers at the catering firm which served the Friday dinner,`` Biek said. Those tests would include stool samples to look for possible salmonella, E. coli or staphylococcus contamination.

The Friday dinner was catered by the Mucho Gusto Restaurant, Economos said. The restaurant, at 700 N. Dearborn St., was closed Tuesday.

Restaurant owner Robert Garca said he has been operating at that location for 5 years without any problems and is cooperating with the Department of Health investigation. He and all 10 of his employees who helped cater Friday`s banquet have been tested by health officials, and as a precaution he has temporarily closed the restaurant until the results of the tests are known.

Inspectors for the Health Department also inspected the Hyatt Hotel facilities, according to Nancy Ruth, a spokeswoman for the hotel. None of the hotel`s facilities have been closed.

The Illinois Health Department is coordinating efforts of epidemiologists in other states.

``The people at this convention were from all over the country,`` said Mary Huck, a spokeswoman for the state agency. ``Our role will be to coordinate and try to get individuals to submit stool samples so we can try and identify what caused the problem.``

Those who were stricken complained of violent vomiting, diarrhea and, in some cases, a fever, Huck said.

``We were first alerted about 8 a.m. Sunday when a doctor in Minnesota called us,`` said Biek. ``By 10 a.m. we had a dozen calls, by noon 40, the total is 200 now.``

``Only one of those affected was hospitalized,`` said Biek. ``We are trying to get her test results, hoping it will give us a clue.``

``Everyone is working on this as fast as they can,`` said Huck. ``But some of these tests take several days, they can`t be done overnight like you see on TV.``